Nortel signs NextiraOne

Nortel Networks has agreed a pan-European reseller deal with NextiraOne, the former direct sales unit of Alcatel.

The deal follows an agreement with another industry spin-off, Ericsson Enterprise's former sales unit Damovo.

"This helps us to move into markets that were dominated by the competition," said Adrian Marsh, director of EMEA channels at Nortel Networks.

"It also strengthens our voice and data convergence reach into the global corporate sector."

Marsh added that, like Damovo, NextiraOne will be given the option to buy direct or through distribution.

"Since we signed Damovo it has chosen to use a mix of buying direct and through distribution," he said.

Distributor Azlan has mainly been the source for Damovo's Nortel equipment, according to Marsh.

The NextiraOne deal is an extension of an existing relationship in the US but will offer a single point of contact for customers in Europe.

"Our US operation is already a major reseller of Nortel but this was a natural move following customer requests," said Ian Ashby, vice president of sales and marketing for Europe at NextiraOne.

"Whether our customers are in the US looking at Europe, or vice versa, we can offer a solid standardised portfolio."

The systems integrator also has relationships with Alcatel, its former parent, and Cisco. "Nortel adds another major networking player," explained Ashby.

EuroLAN Research analyst Keith Humphreys described the deal as further evidence of the "resurgence of Nortel in the enterprise networking space as a major player".

"This has a lot to do with its channel strategy which it has refocused in recent years," he said.

Humphreys added that NextiraOne will put the vendor in front of the right customers and help it compete with Cisco and Alcatel globally.